14 Nebraskaland • October 2019
A BB GUN BEGINNING
By Jeff Kurrus
Henry Matulka of Gretna went on his first hunting trip
when he was 5 years old. Without a driver's license to operate
a vehicle, or his own money to purchase gear, he was reliant
upon someone taking him. That person was his dad, Tim.
With BB gun in hand, Henry continued to accompany
his dad on dove, waterfowl, deer, and turkey hunting trips,
waiting for the day he could pull the trigger on something
besides his Red Ryder lever action. That day came three
years later when he killed his first tom turkey with his dad
beside him, but Henry already knew that success afield is not
measured in the amount harvested.
"It's fun," he said with a shrug of the shoulders. "It's never
been about shooting stuff."
Tim agrees, which is why he involves his son in every
part of the hunt. "The preparation and strategy is the fun
stuff," Tim said, his excitement reminiscent of Henry's.
"Anytime we start getting ready for a hunt, I feel like a kid
myself."
From practicing with their duck and goose calls to cleaning
guns, Tim takes Henry through the entire process. Then
Henry goes even further.
"He's always watching YouTube videos," Tim said. "I
mean, he already knows more about some of this stuff than I
do. He's always trying to learn."
This is obvious when you're around Henry. When he's
belting out a hail call, you know he could call in a duck.
When he's honking, you know geese will be listening. But
because it's not always just father and son, Tim reigns him
in when they're around larger groups of more experienced
hunters.
Yet that doesn't mean an 11-year-old can't act his age. "You
can't expect a young kid to stay still in a blind for hours," said
IN THE FIELD
